Toby and her family live in a newly renovated house that is a
designer’s dream. The home has a French decorating style, chosen
because the family adores France and travels there at every
opportunity. However, there was one area in the home that was sadly
out of place: the basement, which was used mostly as a storage
area.
Toby and her family live in a newly renovated house that is a designer’s dream. The home has a French decorating style, chosen because the family adores France and travels there at every opportunity. However, there was one area in the home that was sadly out of place: the basement, which was used mostly as a storage area.
The room, which opened up onto a lovely garden, was missing a certain “je ne sais quoi.” But it had great potential.
So, donning my best beret, I set out to create a little fabulousness and design a French-country-inspired room where Toby and her family and friends could gather to munch on croissants, sip a little Bordeaux and perhaps even brush up on their Francais.
When we think “French country,” we tend to picture yellow-and-blue patterns and whitewashed antiques. Yet, because I don’t like to take a particular style too seriously or too literally, I decided that, for this project, I was going to steer clear of the anticipated and move toward the unexpected. I wanted to create a “French bistro meets kooky Mad Hatter” mood – a place where the traditional blends seamlessly with the modern.
To get started, I said “adieu” to everything in the space except for Toby’s assortment of beloved French antiques and mementos. I then got to work on choosing the perfect blend of colors and fabrics. I decided on conventional black-and-white checks, stripes and toiles and mixed them up with candy-apple-red fabrics and bold geometrics.
The room’s existing bland green walls did not scream “bonjour,” so I repainted them in a softer shade of cream to match the terra-cotta floor tiles. Three of the four walls had doors and windows, which I softened with striped curtains, but it was the fourth wall that was to be the piece de resistance. I jazzed it up with faux-red-leather wallpaper and turned it into a focus wall with cabinetry and display shelving.
After the colors, patterns and fabrics were selected, I attended to the organizational aspects of the room. I decided to divide the basement into two main areas: a dining/kitchen space and a lounge/conversation spot.
For the dining area, I chose French-cafe style. On the new feature wall, I built up a “satellite kitchen,” complete with a mix of ebony cabinets and open shelving, a two-tiered counter, an under-cabinet fridge and a beverage-storage area. I then installed an eclectic furniture mix by incorporating Toby’s traditional French antique dresser and table with funky chairs upholstered in sizzling red and eye-catching black-and-white checks.
I also combined the expected and unexpected in the lounge area. I put in a beautiful black-and-white toile sofa, and then kicked things up with a mirrored coffee table, a black leather chair and a faux-cowhide area rug.
To lighten and brighten this newly decorated room, I pulled out the old recessed lighting and added a bit more sparkle. In addition to an abundance of under-cabinet lighting that helped showcase Toby’s French treasures, I installed a nontraditional, whimsical crystal chandelier in the dining area and a single, stunning crystal pendant light in the lounge area.
After adding a few more touches – bowls, vases, candlesticks and pictures – the room was complete. Toby’s French-flair basement now matches the rest of her stunning home and rivals any country villa in France. Ooh la la!
